Swoop Bike
by Lelila Solo
Summary: An alternative story to a love life we all love. They knew each other all their lives this time.
1. The Thrill of Being Spontaneous

My new bit of ingenius, this baby wrote herself about an hour ago. Hope you all enjoy!

**Swoop Bike**

_The Thrill of Being Spontaneous_

* * *

He sat on the edge of the derailed balcony, one leg swinging freely off the side and the other propping his elbow up. Another night gone and his father wasn't home, not that he had highly anticipated his father's return home. He knew it wasn't likely, but his father had hinted. He pulled another button free from its hold on his shirt. Granted, his father was likely to kill him for the handiwork he had performed this time on a speeder, but seeing his father again would overshadow that. He envied the kids at school whose father's came to pick them up, while he trudged the lonely path up to the mansion at the top of the hill behind wrought iron fences and into an empty house. But empty was relative, there were plenty of servants and maids and droids and all manners of other things scurrying about, but when his father wasn't home, he considered the house empty. Why a nineteen year old would feel this way was beyond him, but he did regret not seeing his father more as a youngster.

He gazed out to the mountains in the distance and watched as the sun created a brilliant display of light, shooting out bright oranges and yellows and softer reds and softer still pinks until far behind him the sky was dark with the absence of the sun's light. His mother had always loved sunsets like these; maybe that was why he had always enjoyed them so much. His mother had died about ten years ago, leaving him alone with his father. Not that he minded so much, he just wished that his father wasn't always on Coruscant, fighting for the better good of the galaxy. Or so he called it.

He sighed, and breathed deeply the fresh air that permeated the space around him. Being left in a mansion with millions of thousands of hundreds of credits had its benefits, he had to admit. He did what he liked, when he liked, how he liked. He always had and, he thought, _I always will_. Sometimes he was invited over to stay at a friend of his father's palace in Aldera. High Prince Bail Organa and his wife were very welcome to him, and their daughter was only a year younger than he was. He enjoyed the company at times, and at others, he craved to be back in the solitude of his own mansion. Where he could do what he liked, when he liked, and he could do it how he liked. He dropped his leather duffle off of the balcony and listened for the soft sound of it hitting the ground. Throwing a glance over his shoulder to make sure that none of the maids or servants was watching, he stood up and jumped off of the edge of his balcony, landing softly in the grass below. He made his way down to the garage where his father let him keep all of his machines. He pulled out his sport swoop and hopped on after pulling on the helmet, speeding down the dirt lane to the iron gates that barred the entrance to the mansion grounds. Throwing a nod to the guard, he slowed long enough to allow a space big enough for him to fit through. Shooting off into the distance and winding through the forest that sheltered the path to his home, he left the guard fumbling for his comm.

All that could be seen of the nineteen year old was a blur of black against vivid red speeding along, down towards the bustling city and was alive with light below his mountain kept secret hideaway. He heard the howlers in the forest keeping up their namesake, even over the scream of his swoop. A daring gleam that none could see flashed across his eyes and he veered into the woods. Dodging trees and branches and the overgrown forest floor, he shot over the edge of the overhang he was expecting to be there. With an exhilarated whoop, he let the bike fall hundreds of feet, with the forest come up underneath him quickly. He gunned the engine and kicked on the repulsors at exactly the right moment and rode along the tops of the trees until there was a gap and then he fell back to riding through the trees and overgrown shrubs. When he excited the forest, he pulled up sharply before he went over the next ledge that would take him to the depths of the biggest lake within a hundred thousand miles. He enjoyed the view of the sparkling city and swung the swoop in the opposite direction, flying along the edge of the cliff back towards the path that lead down to it. He pulled into the path directly in front of a large freight speeder, and he gunned the engine, getting away from having the back of his bike scrunched up in the last few seconds. Newly exhilarated from his skirmish, he speed up and flew into the city, easily mixing in with the traffic.

He reached the passenger shuttle in the knick of time and hurriedly secured his speeder into the cargo bay. He threw a credit chip at the man standing by the landing platform and slunk up into the holds of the ship. He fingered the quick release of his blaster as he wound through the throngs of people lingering around the ship. He barely felt the lurch of takeoff as he continued to stalk through the passage ways. He saw a girl who looked to be about his age and began to walk over, but the flash of something shiny on her left ring finger caught his eye and he diverted from the hoped familiarity. He didn't spend a lot of time leaning against the wall, hazel eyes shifting through the crowd, for Aldera was the first stop. He hopped off and went to the cargo bay immediately, backing his swoop out of and pulling the helmet over his head, being sure to keep his brown bangs from falling over his eyes. He pulled out and mixed into the traffic of Aldera, taking a familiar path up the side of the sloping mountains to House Organa, where he hoped his friend Leia was still awake. He slowed as he neared and pulled off his helmet to identify with the guard. The man waved him through as wrought iron gates similar to those which guarded his own estate swung open in a graceful arc. He eased through them; not wanting to make too much noise for fear that some of the occupants of the huge estate might be asleep. He left the bike in its usual place of occupancy on his visits and slipped into the gleaming building silently. The maids and servants nodded at him in acknowledgement as they passed him in the halls as he made his way up to the personal living quarters, hopefully that Breha was still awake, and even more hopefully of Leia being awake. He knocked softly and waited a few moments for the greeting of the droid that always answered the door.

The droid, familiar with his presence of coming and going from time to time, quickly let him in and told him to sit and he would fetch Mistress Breha. He called after for the droid not to wake her if she was asleep. However, moments later, Breha Organa swept into the room and grabbed him in a motherly hug. He broke out beaming. Her smile was just as large as she offered him his seat again and took a seat herself. She informed him that Leia would be along in a moment and before he could say anything about waking her up she silenced him saying that she wasn't anywhere near even thinking about going to bed. He grinned and sat back to wait for his friend in the plush couch that he had chosen as his seat for the evening. A flurry of ivory caught his eye and he turned, allowing the ebony to accompany it. Another grin, this time a cocky and lopsided one, found its way onto his face and he stood up.

"Han Solo, what are you doing showing up here at this time of night?"

* * *

So? Let me know...there is more, the second chapter wrote itself about five seconds after this chapter was done. 


	2. An Innuendo

The next installment of my very randomly developed story (not that the story is random, the circumstances in which it was created were random)

_An Inneundo_

* * *

"Han Solo, what are you doing showing up here at this time of night?" she asked him sharply, pure excitement slipping into her voice. Her black robe slept across the floor with her light footsteps. 

"Don't even, Your Worship," he teased, eyeing the pure white nightgown underneath. "Your mother has already informed me that you were wide awake."

He hugged her tightly and whispered into her braids, "Besides, your hair is still up."

She blushed lightly and took the seat next to him. "So, what does bring you here, Han?" Breha asked lightly.

"I got lonely, I thought my dad was going to be home today, but apparently that didn't happen. I suppose something else held him up," he said, his mind wandering to his vigilant balcony watch. "I didn't think you'd mind."

"Well, Bail informed me that they were detained for some matter or another, but it shouldn't be too long. And of course we don't mind, you're welcome to stay as long as you like," she stood up, dark blue robes flowing beautifully around her. "I'll go tell the droid to prepare your room."

_My room_, he thought. That just showed how much time he really spent here if he had his own room. Sometimes he felt more at home here than he did at his own house. Getting the distinct feeling that he was being watched, he turned to Leia who was staring at him insistently. "What?"

"You know very well, what, Han Solo." She raised her eyebrow menacingly, but broke out laughing and perfectly ruined her own charade. She regained her composure quickly and watched him again, gauging what her reaction should be to his next comment. Her eyes swept across his handsome form, dark shirt and pants covering the well toned muscle from years of the manual labor that he preferred doing.

"Come here," he said, patting his lap. Leaving the light robe laying on the couch, she stood up gracefully and slowly walked over to him, sitting down lightly on top of his legs. He ran his hand up and down her back lightly before encircling her waist.

"You know that this is perfectly inappropriate," she said, brushing his bangs out of his eyes and lowering her head to his.

"Well, you're still doing it, aren't you," he said gruffly before kissing her gently. "Besides, some things that are perfectly inappropriate are worth doing for that very reason."

"Han," she said warning heightening her tone as his hands wandered too high along her thigh. The secret part of her that she had locked away long ago for fear that she would break all of Alderaanian tradition vainly wished for that hand to travel higher.

"Sorry Princess," he said. "I missed you is all."

They sat like that, talking for a couple of hours, catching each other up on the newest events in their lives. He couldn't believe it had been two months since they had seen each other last. Work had certainly gotten the better of him, as well as his gang of friends who perused the walks of the city nestled in the mountains below his home. As he watched her talking through an ordeal she went through, he didn't listen so much as study the shape of her cultured eyebrow, the gentle angle of her jaw, the way her lips moved as she talked. _She looks more beautiful than the last time I saw her_. After a few moments, she realized he wasn't listening to her and watched his eyes continue to roam over her figure, waiting for him to realize she had stopped talking. When he looked up suddenly, she caught a laugh in her throat but smiled openly, flashing her perfect teeth at him.

"Well, Princess, I think it's time for you to get to bed," he said, picking her up in his arms and carrying her down the hall, feet sinking into the plush carpet.

"Han!" she screamed, "Put me down!"

"Oh, come now, Your Royal Shortness," he said, stroking the fire of her anger. "You know you like it."

She glared at him. "Put me down."

"No." She stared at him, agape, not even realizing that they were outside her bedroom.

She caught a glimpse of mocking in his eyes, and she eyed him, warily. "You're mocking me. And I need my robe; you left it in the room."

"I am not, I'm repeating you," he said. "There's a difference. And it's not my robe to keep track of, so how could I possibly have left it in the room?" He pressed her palm against the lock and the door slid open. "Goodnight Princess."

He leaned down and she stretched up, the met in a gentle kiss. The dark eyed spy down the hall smiled the same perfectly toothed smile that her daughter did as she watched them. It was about time she had a talk with that boy.

"Han, will you bring my robe to me, please?" she whispered.

"Sure thing, sweetheart."

* * *

There was someone waiting for him when he got back to the living room. "Breha? I thought you were retiring." 

She poured him a mug of kaff and settled down across from him, gently stirring her own cup, full of tea. He sipped appreciatively and made himself comfortable. "Han," she said. "We need to talk."

He set his mug down on the low mahogany table before him, sure that if he kept it in his hands it would end up all over his clothes and the chair. "What about, Mistress?"

"Oh Han, you know better than to call me that," she said.

"I'm sorry, Breha. What did you wish to speak with me about?" he said, a gentle laugh escaping his lips.

"Leia's eighteen now," she said, turning her gaze to the window.

A weird look crossed Han's face, and Breha caught it out of the corner of her turned away eye. "Yes," he said slowly.

"Did you know that I married Bail when I was eighteen? He was nineteen," she said. A thoughtfully look crossed her face before she smiled sweetly at him. "You're nineteen."

Han gulped. "Yes ma'am."

"Think about it Solo, it was a kind of innuendo," she said, sipping at her cup. "I will retire now. Your room is ready. You know where it is."

She left him to his thoughts and his mostly full mug of kaff.

* * *

He sat still for a few moments, considering her words very carefully. He knew that an innuendo meant that there was another meaning to her words. But her meaning was rather clear in the first place, so the fact that she said her words were an innuendo was confusing. He looked out of the floor to ceiling window to his left and counted the stars to clear his head. He thought about how over the years he had grown closer and closer to young Leia Organa. But even when he had kissed her for the first time, he had never thought once about marrying her. Even after school had ended and he had gotten a job as the manager of a local restaurant, he had never thought about marrying her. Even when he had become president of the restaurant chain that his father owned and had given to him, he had never thought about getting settled down. But now that he did think about it, a lot of his friends were married, or getting married. Alderaanian women got married young, and most of the men did as well. They, both male and female, liked to enjoy long lives together. His eyes wandered down the hall to where Leia's room was. _Is that what she's been thinking? Is she ready for that?_ Breha certainly seemed to think so, but he hadn't picked up any signs of that kind of yearning from Leia. _Well, I haven't seen her for two months either. And I need to take her robe to her; she's going to wonder what is keeping me_. 

He decided to wait to theoretically ask her about marriage in a few days, after he figured out what exactly Breha was talking about. He picked up the robe and walked down to Leia's room, but she didn't answer his knock. He left it hanging off the end of a bench by the door and turned to walk the few feet down to his room.

* * *

Setting his mug down on the desk, he surveyed his room, making sure all was in order. The light walls, the white carpet, the large four poster bed, closet, 'fresher, it was all there. He opened the closet and laughed at the fact that his close were still in there. After the years, they had accumulated until he had a second wardrobe here. Sinking onto the bed, he stripped off his shirt and pulled off the blaster rig and belt, leaving them within reach on the desk. Taking one last sip of kaff, he settled into the bed and sighed.

* * *

Two hours later, he was still wide awake; starring at the dark ceiling, wishing Breha hadn't brought up that particular topic that night. Something was eating at him, a desire he had locked away for fear of breaking Alderaanian tradition. The desire that sometimes escaped, like it had earlier that night, but she always managed to keep in check. "Damn it Solo, you've never had a problem getting what you want, why should this be any different?" 

_Because, it's more important that she gets what she wants,_ he told himself. _She's more important than anything I could ever want. But she's going to marry into politics. That's what Breha meant, I need to step away and let her predetermined destiny take course. But Breha knows how I feel about her, wouldn't she have stopped this before it got this far if she knew that Leia would never be able to follow this path?_

An hour later, he had given up on going sleeping; but thinking was making him more tired. He got up and grabbed a silk robe that hung from the back of the door. He padded out to the living area and stood by the window, counting the stars that were being to fade with the precursor of morning's light. He leaned his head against the cool glass and sighed, willing all of the emotions that were clouding his thoughts to dissipate into the mountain's gentle mists that were beginning to wrap themselves around the palace.


	3. A Dream is a Wish

_A Dream is a Wish_

* * *

"_Who and/or what is that, Father?" a young Han Solo asked his father upon being introduced the Organa family. He held out a pudgy finger and pointed that the brunette curls peeking out from behind Breha Organa's legs._

_The adults laughed lightly and Bail Organa coaxed his daughter out from her hiding place. "This is Leia, Han. She is my daughter."_

_Han eyed the newest arrival in his life with a measure of judgment. She was a little shorter than he was. She was looking at her white shoes out of shyness, but Han figured that all girls were like that. "She'll do, I guess."_

* * *

_Three years later, at the ages of nine and eight, they were playing together in the meadow that surrounded the back half of his mansion. "Your house is smaller than mine," she observed for about the tenth time since they had arrived._

"_I know, I like it smaller," Han said tersely, growing increasingly impatient with the brunette head of still bouncing curls, except they were much longer now. He snatched away the bracelet of flowers she held in her palm and began running. "Come and get it, Your Highness!"_

"_Han Solo!" the little, indignant, high pitched voice screamed at him, "Give it back this instant!"_

"_Come now, Princess. Run and get it, or must you debate the proper course of action in a committee?" he shouted back._

"_I am not a committee!" she shouted, running after him. She had, however, forgotten to hike up her skirts and tripped, falling flat on her face. Han ran back to her and helped her up._

"_Are you okay?" he asked, voice full of concern._

_She sniffled and held out her hand. "I'd be better if you gave it back."_

* * *

_They had been playing around the river when the bright idea had struck him. "Hey, Your Most Holiness," his fifteen year old self called to her. "Let's go swimming."_

"_You've got to be kidding," she answered back, coming into view from around a sprawling oak. "That water is freezing."_

"_Is not," Han said._

"_No."_

_He stared at her, amused. Then he stripped off his shirt and took a running leap into the mountain stream. He thought he was going to freeze upon touching the water. She was right, but he wasn't about to let her know that. "Come on, Princess, afraid of a little fun?"_

_She eyed him warily and got down on her hands and knees. Speaking very slowly, she answered him, "I don't think so."_

"_You still discussing your options in a committee, or do I have to make them for you?"_

"_I am not a committee," she screeched. He took the opportunity and pulled her into the frigid water with him. She screamed as he dunked her under, her long dark hair flailing everywhere. "H-H-Ha-Han S-S-Solo!" she said through chattering teeth. "I'm going to kill you!"_

* * *

"_Han, let's go outside on the balcony or something, it's too stuffy in here," she said, pulling on his arm and leading him from the ballroom. They followed the balcony around to the far side of the wall, away from parents and other prying eyes._

"_What do you want to talk about, Princess?" he asked. _

_She turned around and looked at him, taking a step closer. "I've discovered something that I want, rather, something that I want to do."_

"_Really, and what would this be?" he asked._

_She reached up and kissed him quickly. "That." He stared at her in shock for a moment too long. "Oh great," she muttered, trying to step away._

_He caught her arm._

"_Oh great what?" he asked, causing her to look up at him. He pulled her back to where she was before. "I know you can do better."_

"_What?" she stared at him, mouth agape. He leaned in closer and gave her a firmer kiss, a longer kiss. She sighed softly when he pulled away. "I thought…"_

"_That what? I haven't wanted to do that for a long time too?" he asked, smiling. "You were wrong, Princess," he whispered in her ear._


	4. One Last Adventure

_One Last Adventure_

* * *

A soft hand on his shoulder brought him out of his hazy dreams, memories of his life with Leia. He blinked a few times to bring his vision back into focus and saw the ground hundreds of stories away. He momentarily felt like he was falling and like he was going to be sick and his arms started flailing, and hit something hard. Then he realized he was still leaning against the glass of the floor to ceiling window. He picked his head off and a pop was heard as his forehead pulled away from the glass. He heard a snort of laughter and turned around, causing Leia to sink onto one of the couches. His forehead was a bright red and he knew it, but that didn't give her any reason to make such blatant fun of him. He watched her for a few seconds more before moving to go back to his room.

"You can't go back to bed," she called, standing up after having gotten herself back under control.

"And why not?" he asked, tired and grumpy.

"Because it's nearly midday. Don't you want to go do something, like walk around the garden?" she implored.

_Midday?_ He groaned inwardly. He turned around to look at her. "Well, I need to get dressed."

* * *

He locked the door and flopped on the bed, massaging his sore head. Willing himself up, five minutes later, he picked up the duffle he had brought with him and emptied the contents on the bed. The closet was full of his clothes, and he pulled out some tan pants and white shirt. He quickly changed into them and combed his hair to something that resembled tidy. He grabbed a few other items and headed to the 'fresher.Leia was still standing in the living area when he emerged, freshly shaven and now only starved. She smiled knowingly and nodded to the table. On a tray there was a mug of kaff and a muffin and some fruit that he couldn't give a name to, and various other breakfast essentials such as toast. She watched him eat, encouraging him to slow down. 

"There is plenty and it's not all going to just disappear like this," she snapped her fingers. He smiled lovingly at her. "So, why were you asleep against the window?"

"I couldn't sleep in my bed," he said. "So I came out here to think and count the stars. I guess I accidentally fell asleep." He stuffed another piece of toast in his mouth and smudged honey across his cheek. "I dreamt of us."

"Really now?" she asked. "What about us?"

He thought for a moment, "It was just really significant events I guess, throughout our lives. When we met, when I stole your flower bracelet in the meadow at my mansion, when we went swimming in the freezing mountain river, when we kissed for the first time. I don't know why, it was kind of weird, but very welcome." He grinned.

"Hmm," she sat back thoughtfully, eyeing his honey smudged cheek.

"Did you get any sleep?"

"The best sleep I've had since the last time you were here. Has it really been two months, Han?" she implored.

"Yes," he sighed. "Work got the best of me I think."

She growled, "You were supposed to say, 'No Leia, it has only been a week or two' and then smile."

"Sorry," he grinned.

"More kaff?"

"Please," he said, handing her the mug. As she walked away, he watched the way her hips moved and wanted to reach out and touch her. When she came back and set the mug down, he wrapped an arm around her and wouldn't let her go to her seat. Instead he pulled her on top of him. She sat down and crossed her legs, her flaxen colored gown falling along her legs and spilling over to cover his.

"What?" she asked playfully.

"I just wanted to hold you," he said.

She smiled. "You have honey on your cheek."

"Ah, so that's why you were so very intently watching my cheek. Well, would you like to do the honors?" he asked. Instead of picking up the napkin, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, wiping his cheek clean with her tongue. She dragged her lips from his cheek to his mouth. He tasted like honey and kaff, and vaguely like melon. She drank him in deeper, tugging his lower lip with her teeth. "Sweetheart, you're going to have to stop that."

"Why?" she whispered with a ragged exhale.

"Because I need to finish breakfast and then we have to take our walk in the garden," he said, nuzzling her neck. "And if you keep doing that, we aren't going to leave this room."

"Fine, but you are the one who pulled me onto your lap," she said, getting off and taking her seat back. He finished gulping the food down and then took her by the hand and they walked down to the gardens.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we go over to my place for a day?" he asked her.

She laughed, "Right, because my mother would let me do that. Uh huh." She rolled her eyes and ran ahead of him. "Come on, come and get me."

"Nuh uh," he said, watching her jog backwards. "We are much too old for that anymore. Leia, stop."

"No."

"Leia, stop, seriously," he said, almost pleading.

"No Han, come and—" she fell backwards into the small droid-built pond. She shrieked.

"I told you to stop, maybe you'll learn to listen to me from now on," he said doubling over with laughter. He stood back far enough away from her flailing feet. "I'm not helping you up, because you will pull me in, even though all I did was try to help you."

She glared at him and scooted out of the water. "Th-th-thanks Han," she chattered. "S-so kin-ind of you."

"Oh come off it, it isn't my fault you don't listen to me at all," he grinned, offering his arm. "Let's go get you dried off and see if we can't spend the night at my house and then the day tomorrow."

* * *

"Breha, would it be okay with you if I took Leia over to my mansion in Calera tonight and then we came back tomorrow? There would be no funny business going on, and she would sleep in her own room and she'll be back here tomorrow afternoon not harmed in the slightest and every bit as pure as she is now," Han explained.

"Han, you don't have to convince me. I trust you and Leia. And you've done this kind of thing before. It's fine by me."

Leia stood behind Han in shock, "Mother, are you okay?"

"Perfectly," Breha flashed her daughter a knowing smile and disappeared into her chambers.

"Something is up," she pouted when Han turned to look at her with a winning smile.

"Sweetheart, let's accept your mother's good graces and get our tails out here," he said, walking to the door.

"Han," she said. "Why would she let us go over there where she knows that we'll be all alone?"

"Well, we've been all alone anyways haven't we?" he retorted.

She thought for a moment, "I suppose you're right. Do I need to change or are we taking a speeder?"

"Oh, yeah. Put on some pants and a shirt, that gown is going to do nothing for you when you see how we are getting to the shuttle," he grinned. "Go on, go change." As she walked away, his smile faded into a frown as he thought about what this last adventure would mean to him. _Our last adventure, together anyways. I'm going to miss them_.

* * *

When she emerged, even her hair was in a different style. He shook his head, _I will never understand this girl._ Taking her by the hand, they headed for the turbolift. They flew down a little under a hundred stories and he ran ahead towards a door that she had never noticed before. She ran to catch up to him as he disappeared behind it. "Han Solo, what are we doing out here, you can't possibly—"

Han stood proudly in front of his newest acquisition, holding onto one black handle with one hand and his helmet with the other. He took her delight as a good sign. "You like my newest toy?"

"She's beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"You wanna ride?" he asked, an adventurous gleam in his eye. She nodded and he threw a leg over, patting the seat behind him. He handed her the helmet.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine, Princess," he said. "Just put that on and get on." She followed his directions and slid onto the bike behind him. He pushed the bike backwards to clear enough room to swing it around and brought it to life, revving the engine and shooting off along the neatly paved drive of House Organa.

They shot out across the path once they got past the gates, where they had left another guard fumbling for his comm link. The ride was much smoother on the paved path that lead down to Aldera than on the dirt path that lead to his home. On the winding path, he looked over the edge before whipping the bike around and dropping at least a story onto the lower level of the path. He heard her gasp over the roar of the engine and smiled. He gave the engine more gas and sped up, taking the turn sharply, pulling up short before they went over the next edge.

"Han, you have got to stop doing that, you're going to give me a heart attack," she said.

He took her for a leisurely ride down the mountain trail into Aldera and headed in the direction of the shuttle docks. He stowed his bike in the cargo hold and they climbed aboard, quickly finding seats in a secluded corner.


	5. The Day Before

The animal mentions in this are credited as follows...suubatars are all Lucas, you can find them on wookieepedia, kutatars I made up...you can't find them on wookieepedia, they belong to my head

_The Day Before_

* * *

The ascent up to Han's mansion was beautiful. She loved the way it was nestled up on a low plateau, in the heart of the forest, surrounded by meadows and trees. A large, lean dog bounded out of the forest ahead of them and watched them, waiting. She eyed it warily and as they passed it, it began running along side of them. Leia thought she heard a deep laugh coming from Han and wrapped her arms more tightly around him. The dog followed them all the way to the gates and then tried to slink through behind them, but the guard shoed him away.

He surveyed the garage where his father's affects were housed and didn't see his speeder. Rolling his eyes, he headed off to the next garage where his toys were housed. He let Leia climb off and then pulled the swoop into the garage, laying his helmet on the workbench along the back wall. He exited from a side door after having turned on the ray shield that guarded the open wall of the garage. Taking her hand, they walked up to the large front doors and he tapped a code into the keypad beside the door. They stepped through the doorway and onto smooth, old fashioned, dark hardwood floors. He led her up a sweeping staircase on the left, into the East Wing. She dropped her personal belongings off in her room and then they walked through his onto the derailed balcony. The sun hadn't quite begun to set and they sat against the brick work, watching the wild animals that roamed the meadows frolic.

The herd of kutatars lingered closer to the mansion within the confines of a fenced in paddock. A distant cousin of the suubatars of Ansion, the stripes of red against their bronze fur gave their coats a rippling look. A hollow call from one reached their ears and sent shivers down their spines. A few young kutatars raced along the edge of the fence, kicking and bucking as they went.

"Those four will be ready to sell soon," he informed her. Pointing, he added, "That one, with the darker fur, I think I'm going to talk my father into keeping. Or else I'll buy the thing from him. She's gorgeous, don't you think?"

"Yes, she is." Leia turned her face up to look at him, "Can we go see her?"

"Sure thing," he said, standing up and giving her a hand.

They walked down to the paddock where the herd was grazing, waiting to be taken in for the night. Han whistled and they all perked their ears up as an animal came running around the side. Skidding to a stop in front of them, tongue lolling, stood Han's faithful companion, Calder. The four-eyed lean dog watched them intently.

"Hello Calder," Leia said, giving him a scratch behind the ears.

"Calder, cut," Han said sharply and the dog wheeled around, waiting for the next command. A low whistle sent him running off in the direction of the young animals. A few whistle later and Calder came running over, nipping at the heels of the young kutatar that Leia wanted to meet. Both animals came to a stop before the two humans and Han slipped a rope around the kutatar's neck. Calder crawled under the fence and sat down next to Han, who patted his head.

"So, what is her name?" Leia asked.

"Dusk," Han said, rubbing a hand over the animal's back. "Go ahead, you can pet her, she won't bite."

Leia gently ran a hand over the yearling's back. "She's soft."

"Yeah," he said. His attention however, wasn't focused on the yearling. He ran a hand down the side of her arm and joined her in petting the kutatar, though his eyes remained on her.

"She's beautiful," she added.

"Yeah, beautiful," he said. His unfocused voice caused her to look up.

She found his hazel eyes staring into hers with an intensity they had never had before. She gazed back at him as his hand wondered back up her arm. She was just about to kiss him when he pulled away; jerking his hand back like it had been burned. He shook his head as if to clear it and turned away from her for a moment. His closed his eyes and prayed to every god and goddess that he knew to keep him focused on the task at hand. She walked up behind him and laid a hand on his back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he turned back to her and kissed her hand. "Do you want to ride?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of the kutatars in the paddock. She nodded, letting him get away with hiding the problem this time. They walked down to the barn to get two sets of tack and carried them up to the paddock. Han and Calder went into the paddock and got two of the beasts and brought them back. Leia daintily slipped the bridle over the kutatar's ears and pushed the bit into its mouth. She looked over at Han, who was already done, sitting on top of the animal, waiting for her. She smiled up at him and slid the saddle into position on the animal's back, pulling the straps tight. She swung into the saddle and looked over at Han. "You ready?" he asked, her answer to which was a nod.

He moved the animal over to the gate and whistled for Calder. The dog bounded over and jumped up, knocking the lock on the gate off, letting it swing wide. Han trotted through it, and looked back to Leia who was three paces behind him. He moved over to close the gate and Leia kicked the kutatar into a gallop. Han closed the gate and Calder knocked the lock back onto the gate. After he was sure the gate was locked properly, he turned and galloped after Leia, who was a good three hundred meters away. He veered away from her path, thundering up a hill, where he watched her speed away before him. Grinning, he kicked the animal into a gallop again and he took off down the hill, gaining more speed as he went. Staring ahead, he noticed that he was catching up with her. _She must have slowed down to a canter_. He easily passed her and shot a smile in her direction. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her nudge the animal into a gallop again, catching up with him. He took her on a high speed tour of the meadows, stopping finally when they reached a stream that cut through it and disappeared into the forest beyond. Letting their feet rest in the water, they laughed about their detour from watching the meadow. He found himself watching her closely again, and stood up, going to fetch the kutatars. "We should be getting back soon, Princess. The gamekeeper is going to wonder what happened to two of his charges."

* * *

As they reached the top of the hill, Han knew something was wrong. Calder was barking and growling insanely, and the kutatars were bellowing loudly. He saw the gamekeeper lying on the ground. "Han, what's wrong?" Leia asked, eyeing the scene before her.

"I don't know, stay here," he said, dismounting. He passed the reins to Leia. "Please, stay here; I don't know what is down there."

He ran down the hill and took the fence with a leap. Landing next to a kutatar in frenzy, he dropped to his stomach as it kicked. He rolled away and pushed up to his feet. "Calder! Calder!" The dog didn't respond to him and he traveled quickly in the direction of the howling. He stopped in his tracks as two black dogs turned from their tormenting of the kutatars. Eight eyes watched him, and he swore that they were grinning. They each took a step towards him, and he backed away. "Calder!" he screamed, voice frantic. The brown dog leapt over the back of a kutatar and stood in front of him, growling menacingly at the two smaller black dogs. He reached for his blaster, and looked down, fear and dread creeping up his spine. He had left it in his room. He backed away a few more steps and looked up. Leia was watching him. The growling from the two black dogs ceased and Han slowly turned his attention back to them. They were both looking up the hill, at the two kutatars that were all alone. "No!"

They started slinking towards the fence and Han threw his attention back to Leia. "Leia, run! Take the animals and run!" he yelled, pointing at the black dogs headed her way. But the other kutatars were making too much noise and she couldn't hear him, and the dogs blended in too well. "Calder, get them, stop them."

The dog leapt through the air, placing himself once more in front of the two black ones and their target. Han sidled around and slipped through the rungs in the fence, slowly making his way up the hill. When he saw the two black dogs' heads shoot up, he broke and ran, scrambling up the hill the fastest he could. He was almost there when she screamed. He looked behind him and saw that the black dogs were almost on him, with Calder right behind them. He yelled for her to run. She didn't. Instead, he watched her dig for something in her pocket. Turning back to the inevitable attack of the two dogs, he waited, but it never came. He heard two shots from a blaster and then silence. Opening his eyes, he saw two black, unmoving lumps sprawled on the ground. Calder was standing by them, nudging them curiously with his noise. "Calder, _kalehs_." The dog turned and ran back to the still frantic herd of kutatars. He stood up and turned around, Leia sat on her kutatar, blaster nestled in her palm. She slid off and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him, before burying her face in his shoulder.

"Oh gods, Han. I for a second there, I thought you were dead," she said into his shirt.

"Me too, sweetheart, me too," he admitted. "Can you bring them in; I have to go attend to someone."

"Yes," she said, puzzled.

* * *

The gamekeeper was just sitting up when he reached him. Han helped him to his feet and told him to go see the medic. "I'll get them inside, go."

Calder had managed to get the animals calmed down, relatively. Han grabbed three ropes and roped the other three yearlings. Picking up the last one on his way out, he took them to the stable, where Leia was untacking the two that she had been charged to bring in. Retrieving the ropes from around their necks, he set out to the paddock again. Leaving the ropes around a pole, he and Calder walked the rest of the herd in as one. Calder kept them in a group as Han took them into their stalls one by one. Leia was trying to keep out of the way, but wasn't doing any bit of good.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go wait for me up at the house? It'll only take another minute or two."

She went, and he grabbed another two kutatars by the mane and brought them in. _Our last adventure together and I almost get both of us killed. Great._

* * *

So, are any of you interested in this anymore, it's developing quite nicely, I'm about three chapters ahead in having them written...feedback?


	6. Near Death Experience

Sorry guys, I got really busy and didn't have time to edit this one...but here it is...I'll try to get the next post to you faster

_Near Death Experience_

* * *

The next day, he saw her safely home. He took an easy speed up the mountain path to House Organa. He didn't cut corners or try to pull stunts. They went straight up the mountain and straight up to the living area. Leia watched Han as they walked, side by side but silent. His gaze was focused ahead, not on anything particular, but focused enough that he wouldn't look at her. She watched the floor as they walked, wishing to know what was on his mind. He had been in near death situations before and it hadn't fazed him at all, and she had been in them with him. The night had gone downhill after the run in with those dogs. She had sat in her room alone, wishing for him to come to her, just wanting to talk. At the moment, it didn't seem like she would even get a goodbye.

"Leia, you're back already darling?" Breha asked cheerfully. Her gaze traveled down to Leia's hands and her expression fell for a moment, but it was instantly back in a dazzling smile. But it had fallen for a second too long, because Leia had caught it.

"Safe and sound, like I promised," Han said, his voice on edge and full of a little more than a bit of repressed anger. "If you'll excuse me…" He pushed past Leia and walked down the hall, returning moments later with his duffle. "See you around."

He made to go out the door when Breha called to him, "But, Han. The banquet is tomorrow."

Han rolled his eyes and turned around. "And what does that have to do with me," he said, a bit nastier than he had meant to. "I figured out your innuendo, Breha. I don't need to be there, what do you want? To make me suffer while I watch?"

Leia's gaze flashed from her mother to Han in rapid succession and confusion.

"I don't need that. If it's her predetermined destiny to be a politician and to marry a politician, that's fine by me. I just wish that you hadn't let it get this far if you knew all along that it would have to end. I just want her to get what she wants, and if I'm not on that path, then I'll live with it." He turned away and walked out the door, muttering under his breath, "Or I'll die trying to."

Leia waited until the door and slid closed and had locked before turned violent eyes onto her mother.

"Leia, that's not what was supposed to happen. He missed something," Breha said quickly.

Leia's eyes didn't lose any of the intensity as she stared at her mother. "What exactly did you say to him?" Leia said slowly, biting out each word individually through a clenched jaw.

"I was trying to help," Breha said desperately, as Leia sat across from her. Noting her daughter's expression, Breha told Leia the story of what she had said during her conversation with Han two days ago. At the end, Leia glared at her and jumped up, running out of the room, praying that Han hadn't left yet. She pushed several servants out of the way and slipped into the turbolift. The few seconds that it took to ride down to the ground floor were agony.

_That's why he jerked away at the paddock, that's why we rode the kutatars when we haven't ever done it before, that's why he was so quiet from that accident on. He wanted one last adventure, but he didn't want to do something that he would regret, and he couldn't forgive himself for jeopardizing my safety. He thought my mother wanted him out of the picture, he thought I wanted more, something else, someone else._

She ran through the turbolift doors before they were opened far enough for a normal person to attempt to get through and wrenched open the door. The door that she had never before paid attention to, but now meant everything to her. The door swung open and she heard the revving of an engine.

"No Han," she cried as he sped off. After the moment of shock that he was leaving wore off, she looked around wildly and saw a swoop that she thought belonged to her cousin. Grabbing it, she jumped on and gunned the engine, desperate for it to come to life. It lurched when it started and she briefly thought that she might be making a mistake. The old rusted bike was very shaky underneath her. One thought of Han dissipated that thought and she sped out after him. Wishing the bike to go faster, she almost caught him at the gate, but the guard opened it and he was gone. She got through just before they closed and willed more power into the machine. It sputtered and then lurched again, jumping ahead and speeding up. She saw him round the corner and disappear. Taking a deep breath she nudged the bike ahead further and sent it off the edge. Holding it steady as it fell, she sent a flood of gas into the engine and it died. She hit the ground and the bike fell apart on impact, throwing her several meters.

She heard the sound of an engine approaching and tried to sit up, but her head hurt too much. _Maybe I should have tried to find a helmet_. She heard footsteps at a walk, then a run, before the sound of his voice reached her ears. "Leia!" He got down on his knees beside her and supported her head as he sat her up. "What were you thinking?"

"I had to catch you, tell you, you were wrong," she managed to say.

He shook his head, "You could have killed yourself."

"Wouldn't have mattered if you'd left," she whispered.

"Leia, Leia stay with me, I'm going to get you to a medic. Stay with me," he said.

* * *

He hoisted her into his arms, bridal style, and carried her to the medical center of House Organa. The guard was a little more than puzzled when Han came roaring back to the gate with a passenger, but he opened the iron gates none the less and allowed him to pass through. Han parked the bike at the front entrance and picked a now unconscious Leia from the back of the bike. The clerk at the office inside the doors waved him through with an alarmed look on her face. Laying her onto one of the med bunks, he stepped back to let the droids do their work. He watched the pained expression fade from her face and a relieved feeling passed through him. Breha came running in moments later.

"Oh Goddess," she turned to Han. "Is she going to be alright?"

"She should be," Han said.

"Han, you have to know that you leaving was not what I meant. I would never want that to happen. Leia's the happiest when she's with you," Breha said softly.

"This is the second time she's almost died because of me in as many days," he said softly, looking back to the figure lying on the bed.

"What?" Breha asked, a fleeting expression of fear covering her face.

"Two wild dogs attacked my kutatars. While Calder and I were confronting them, I looked up to the hilltop to make sure that Leia was still okay. I drew their attention to her. They went for her. After a scramble, it ended up being she who killed them, but if I hadn't looked to her, they wouldn't have known she was there. And then today, she tried to pull one of my stunts. Without a helmet," he said bitterly. "And it's all my fault, if I hadn't left—"

"No, I should have just come out and told you, not made you think that what you thought could even be a possibility in my mind," Breha said. "She loves you."

"She almost died," he said, ignoring her.

"What happened?"

"She was riding an old swoop, really old. And she coaxed too much from it at once. She went off the edge, trying to cut the corner and catch me. I did that before, but I know how to do it. I was taught how to do it. I think she flooded the engine and the bike died. It shattered on impact and she was thrown a couple of meters. She wasn't wearing a helmet. She hit her head pretty hard." He closed his eyes before continuing, "If I had sped up like I was going to do, and not been there when she did that…She would have died."

"Han, it's not your fault, please don't take it as such."

"How can I not, if it wasn't for me, it wouldn't have happened."

"Everything happens for a reason; before you jump to conclusions, let's find out what this one is."


	7. Banquet

Very sorry all, real life took hold and I couldn't manage to get this posted sooner, I promise to be better about it.

_Banquet_

* * *

She awoke the next day with a headache, and a few scratches, but the bacta treatments that had been used on her arm and legs had worked quickly, restoring her skin to its unblemished state. Orientating herself quickly, she recognized the white sterility of the medical center. _How did I get here? Did someone find me?_ The last thing she remembered was intense pain upon connecting with the ground after the bike had died and she had been thrown from the remnants as it shattered beneath her. She tried to sit up, but quickly decided that was a bad idea as the pain in her head increased tenfold. The swishing of the door caught her attention and she turned to welcome the visit. 

He pushed his palm against the lock and it swished open. Her pained expression hurt him, but she turned her head and looked at him. "Leia, how are you doing?"

"Han?" she asked, puzzled. She had done it; she had gotten him to come back, even if it had been by crashing an ancient speeder on a foolish stunt. "You came back?"

"Well, I couldn't very well leave you lying in the middle of the road. Do you not remember talking to me?" he asked, a gentle smile crossing his face.

"No, all I remember is colliding with the ground in a most painful way," she said. "My head is killing me."

"Here," he handed her a few pills that he shook out of a bottle and a cup of water. "That'll help." He waited to her to swallow the medicine before continuing. "You told me that I was wrong. What was I wrong about?"

"You _are_ on that path, can you live with that?" she asked.

He smiled and cradled her head in his hand. "I think I can."

"That whole thing, about going to your mansion, that was your attempt at one last adventure together wasn't it?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he admitted.

"Why didn't you just ask me about it?"

"Because, it wasn't something I could ask you about," he said. "It was something I had to come up with on my own, and apparently I came up with the wrong thing."

"Well, I'd say so." She took his hand, twining her fingers with his. "So when am I getting out of here?"

"As soon as you get over that headache and they check you out and give the all clear," he said. The smile disappeared as he continued, his tone growing serious, "You could have been killed. Why did you try that? Why didn't you wear a helmet? The impact alone could have killed you, despite being thrown and landing, hitting your head. How would I have felt then? You could've commed me."

"I had to tell you, I had to see you, I had to stop you," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me, tell your head. I don't know how you managed to not crack it open. I expected to see blood gushing everywhere. You scared me to death," he said. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm so sorry, Han. But I couldn't live with the fact that you were leaving me."

"Well, you don't have to anymore," he smiled, leaning over and giving her a gently kiss. "I'll see you tonight, before the banquet. Right now I have something to go do, I just wanted to see if you were awake before I left. Get over that headache now."

She sunk into the pillows and sighed, closing her eyes so she could sleep the headache off.

* * *

He met her at the door of the banquet hall, offering her his arm, which she gladly accepted. They walked through the doorway as a young man announced them. "Princess Leia Organa, and her escort Master Han Solo." 

Han rolled his eyes at the title every formal event bestowed upon him. She laughed at him and they took their seats at the head table. _The head table, where everyone can see, because I have to do this right, and there has to be a thousand witnesses_, Han thought to himself. His hands were shaking and he knew she would notice. He felt like a spotlight had been placed on him and the rest of the lights had been turned out.

"I felt that way once," a voice beside him said. Han turned and Bail Organa's face met his. "When I asked Breha to marry me."

"Thanks," Han said. "So when exactly am I supposed to do this?"

"Whenever you want, just wait for everyone to get here, and don't wait until people start to leave," Bail said, out of the side of his mouth.

"Great." He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

"Han, calm down, it's just a banquet," Leia said, gripping his hand more tightly under the table.

"Right, just a banquet."

* * *

The main course had been brought out; each person in attendance had a silver dish placed before them on the red tablecloths that covered every table there. Everyone settled down to eat, finishing up the opening conversations with laughs and smiles. Beings poured wine and water, some tucked napkins onto their legs. Han waited for everyone to settle down, before standing up and softly knocking the fork against his wine glass. Everyone turned their attention to the head table as Han lead Leia out in front of it. He addressed the mass, nervously, and cast a glance to Bail before continuing. 

"Leia, a lot has happened recently. And we've grown closer than I ever thought possible. A lifelong friendship has turned into something more. I, I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he said shakily. Hands fumbling, he pulled a velvet box out of the inside pocket of his jacket and sunk down to one knee. Grateful to have something to steady himself against, he opened the box and showed the contents to her. "Leia Organa, will you marry me?"

She stared at the vibrant ring in the box and tears came to her eyes. She found herself nodding and snapped to the present. "Yes," she said, raising her gaze to meet his. "Yes, I will."

He plucked the ring out of the box and gently pushed it onto her finger. He stood up and she threw her arms around him. He hugged her back and kissed her cheek as the room applauded politely. He led her back to her seat and took his. He spent the rest of the night glued to that seat, staring into space with shock. At the end, Leia leaned over. "If you stare at that wall any longer there will be a hole in it."

"Hmm," he said, blinking.

"Let's go to bed, Master Han Solo," she grinned, dodging his playful swipe. He stood from his seat and followed her out of the room. They wandered through the dark halls of the palace, talking about nothing, like they used to do when they were younger. He would lean in and kiss her from time to time, pausing the conversation for a few breathless seconds at a time. She held his hand tightly and he noticed that she kept looking down at her hand to the glittering jewel set in the silver band.

"What happened to going to bed, Princess Leia Organa?" he asked her after half an hour of wandering in the dark. He elbowed her gently, pushing her off of his numbing arm. "You're falling asleep on me."

She smiled sleepily at him, "I guess I am, let's go. We are going to have an early start and a full day tomorrow."

He eyed her warily, "And why is that, do you have something planned?"

"No, but I can guarantee you that we have at least fifteen interviews with HoloNet reporters and the like. We are going to be the headlines tomorrow afternoon and for the next week. Every being and their cousin are going to want to talk to us," she said. "Can you handle that?"

"I'm sure I'll find a way to."

"Are you going back to Calera tomorrow?" she asked when they were in the turbolift.

"Why?"

"Well, your father is home now. Didn't you see him at the banquet? Father said that they returned just in time for the banquet."

"No, I didn't see him." He looked confused. "Why didn't he come see us? Me?"

"I don't know Han, maybe he wanted to get home. Don't dwell on it," she said as the lift came to a stop and the doors opened. "So, are you going to go?"

"I think so, but don't worry, I won't leave you alone with the reporters and interviewers. I'll leave late, and get back early," he said.

"We'll talk about it later," she said. "Now," they walked into the living area, "time for bed."

They walked down the hallway in the dark, the lights having been turned off long ago. They stopped outside her room and he wrapped her in a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder, the smell of his cologne filling her senses. "Today was the best day of my life," he said into her hair and kissed her head. "I love you."

"I know, and I love you too," she said, raising her head in invitation. He leaned down and met her lips, kissing her gently. "Goodnight."

* * *

Again, sorry for the wait! Please forgive me? 


	8. Misunderstood Meetings

_Misunderstood Meetings_

* * *

An aide woke her early the next morning, saying something about a list of appointments she had and that the first one would begin in half an hour. Shaking the sleep from her eyes as the aide babbled, she sat up in the bed and tossed the light sheet away from her. Sliding into the soft slippers at the side of the bed, she got up and walked to the 'fresher, leaving the aide to talk to herself. She splashed cold water on her face to help wake herself up a little faster. Treading back out into the bedroom, she stepped into the closet and put together her attire for the day. Emerging from the bedroom fifteen minutes later in a white gown, she made her way down into the living area, where Han was busily munching away at his breakfast. She cleared her throat and he looked up at her, smiling through the crumbs that spread across his lips. Shaking her head, she took the seat next to him. "So, are you going to do all of the interviews dressed like that?" she asked, eyeing his ragged nightwear.

"If it'll get them to leave us alone faster," he said. At her dark scowl he quickly amended his statement. "I'm going to change, Princess. Don't you fret your pretty little head."

"Well, when do you plan on changing? Because, our first appointment is in ten minutes."

He spewed his kaff across the table, "What?"

"Ten minutes Han, I suggest you hurry."

"I can't get ready in ten minutes, are you nuts?" he stared at her.

She sighed and shook her head. "You go shave and things of that nature, and I'll pick you out something to wear, will that help at all?"

Grumbling, he led the way to his room and showed her the contents of his closet before disappearing into the 'fresher. She studied the closet for a moment before whipping out some dark slacks and a light brown shirt. Laying them on the bed, she went back down to the living area and ate the last of his toast quickly before they had to leave.

* * *

Seven minutes later, they were walking down the hall towards the turbolift together. Han was still grumbling about ridiculous schedules and not being in the know, and she tried her best to ignore him. The ride down to the conference rooms was far less enjoyable as he stared at the floor in silence for the entire trip. After exiting, she pulled him over and looked him in the eye. "You had better not act like this when they are interviewing us," she growled. "It's not that bad, I've had meetings scheduled for the middle of the night, two hours beforehand. This is relatively late in the circles of reporting." 

"I'm fine, the interviews will be fine," he smiled. She kissed him quickly and they continued on their way to the conference room where they were to spend the rest of the day, answering the same questions fifty times. _Or more than that_, Han thought to himself. Part of him wanted to keep count and be a smart aleck to the twentieth person that would ask him one singular question.

"Don't even think about it," she warned him.

"What?" he asked innocently, pointing at himself.

"You know what, no being a smart aleck, this is my arena, just let me do the talking."

He was about to make a retort about him just being a show puppet, but they were entering a room filled with reporters of every kind. He shied away before he could catch himself, but Leia grabbed his hand and lead him to another room. "Sit down, on the couch there," she said, taking a seat beside him.

"Princess, your first appointment," an attendant said, showing a reporter carrying only a voice recorder.

Leia smiled sweetly and Han plastered a fake grin unto his face. "Hello Princess, ah, Mr. Solo," the reporter said, shaking both of their offered hands. "Now, to business."

Han nudged Leia, but she didn't pay him any attention. "What would you like to start off with first…ah, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Theng, Your Highness." The reporter smiled. "First order of business; what date is the wedding planned for?"

* * *

"I'm going to ring all of their goddess forsaken necks!" Han exclaimed, late that night when they finally got away from all of the reporters. "When is the wedding? Are they nuts!" 

"Well, Han," Leia tried, but there was no use getting in a word. Han was in a mood.

"I asked you last night to marry me! How do they expect for us to already have a wedding date picked out," he continued. All the time he was ranting, Leia had been trying to explain the reporters logic to him.

"Han!" she exclaimed stopping him. "Can I say something?"

"I think you've said something. You talked all day," he said. "What was I even there for? For show? You answered all of the questions, even the ones that were specifically directed at me. What was that all about? Your arena?"

"Han I—"

"You what? You didn't want me to embarrass you?" he asked, facing her with a hard glare. "I've grown up in politics too, Leia. I know how to handle it. What do you think my father is?"

"A politician," she said.

"But not one who is as high of a position as your father, so that means that I haven't been exposed?"

"No," she said, "I just, I know how you are."

"What?" he asked incredulously. "Look, if you want someone who can _handle_ it, all you have to do is say the word, and I'm gone." He turned away and headed for his room, stalking along the hallway, his feet managing to thud heavily against the deep plush carpet.

She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath, before hurrying after him. Throwing herself between him and the opening door, she confronted him. "Han, I don't want anyone else. I want you, and I know that you can handle it, but you don't know how they think."

"How who think?" he snarled.

"The reporters. They think that you proposed to me at least a month ago, we made all of the preliminary plans, and then made it public. That's how it's usually done," she said.

"Oh, and you couldn't explain this to me before we met with them?" he asked, throwing his hands into the air.

"When?"

"I don't know, the two, three hours we were walking the corridors. Maybe this morning, at breakfast?" he asked, running his hands up his face and through his hair. "There were plenty of times. But you wanted the spotlight, you wanted to talk, and you didn't want me ruining your field day with the reporters."

He shook his head and snorted in disgust. "No, Han, I just didn't think about it until we were three steps away from the room!" She took five steps down the hall. With a deep breath, she softly continued, "I thought that I would explain it to you tonight, so you would understand."

She took five more steps, he didn't move. "I'm in this, I hope you are to. I thought you were." She kept walking while she talked, stepping further and further away from his unmoving form. "We've been through worse than this." She had made it to the end of the hall and was sure that by now she was talking to herself. "How far do I have to go?"

He heard the sound of the door swoosh open, and the light clacking of her feet in the corridor outside. Her last words were registering in his mind and he pounded the wall in frustration. _I'm so gods damned stupid_. He entered his room and discarded his dress clothes onto the bed. Lighter clothes were in the closet and he pulled out a pair of pants and a shirt and shrugged into them. His helmet was lying on the dresser, but he left it. _I won't need it, she didn't go far._ He ran down the hall and the door opened in front of him. He thought that she had come back, but it was just a servant with the wash. He waited for the large cart to pass and then slipped into the hall. She was no where in sight. Sighing, he ran back into the living area, down the hall, and into his room. He grabbed his helmet and ran back to the corridor, taking off in the direction of the turbolift.

* * *

The ride down the lift was agonizingly slow and he began tapping his foot with impatience. When the doors opened he bolted for the garage where his swoop was waiting. Peering into the night sky, he saw no sign of her, but he did hear the distinct noise of iron bars clanging together. Listening a moment longer, he waited for the sound of a speeder engine to come at him, but none came. He gunned the engine and sped off towards the gates. Swerving to a stop in front of them he motioned for the guard to open them. But nothing happened after his waving. Snorting in frustration, he rode the swoop over to the gatehouse and pounded on the window. The guard jumped and looked at Han's expectant face. Waving in acknowledgment, the guard keyed the command for the gate to open and Han pulled out. He didn't go very fast as he scanned ahead for any sign of Leia. Seeing none, he continued until he came to where the road bent ahead and the overhangs started. He stopped the bike and peered over the edge. Something white glinted in the moonlight and he smiled. Getting back on the bike, he rode down, flying past her and swerving back in a tight arc in front her, pulling up to a hard stop. 

He stepped off of the bike and pulled his helmet off. He sat it down on the bike and turned back to her. She was standing were she had been before, staring at him.

"No farther. Not even this far." She didn't move. He took a step towards her. "I'm sorry, Leia."


	9. Maybe We Are Too Young

_Maybe We Are Too Young_

* * *

"I'm sorry, Leia."

She turned her face away and looked up at the stars. The moonlight that streamed down onto her face illuminated the wet streaks that stained her face and the glistening tears that fell down her cheeks.

He stepped to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She refused to look at him. He stepped in front of her and gently pulled her face down until she was forced to look at him. "I'm sorry."

"One day, that's not going to be good enough," she said softly. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace. Murmuring "Sorry"'s and "I love you"'s, he stroked her hair, which was coming loose from its bun. She picked her head off his chest and looked up at him. His gaze traveled from her eyes down to her lips and back up again. She raised her chin further and he met her lips, kissing her softly. Her arms snaked around his neck and she pulled him closer, opening her mouth to him, kissing him more deeply, more soulfully.

"I'm sorry Leia. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I, I was just frustrated. I don't know why I—"

"Shh," she put a finger to his lips. "It's okay. It's okay."

He led her back to his bike and handed her the helmet. At her objection he kissed her forehead. "We know what happened last time you tried to ride a swoop without a helmet. Let's not relive that."

They walked back up to the living area arm in arm. He headed back into his room, but she placed herself between him and the open door once more. "What is it this time?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, pressing her tongue to his lips until he granted her access. She pulled him closer and he took a step towards her. She took a step back to adjust and he took another step towards her.

_Am I, are we, sitting on his bed?_ Her subconscious asked. He kissed below her ear, gently sucking at her skin. She instinctively raised her head, giving him better access. _So what if we are?_

He pushed the overcoat from her shoulders and it fell against the bed. He shifted to get the advantage, but she met him, kissing his lips greedily. They became insistent, demanding, wild kisses, and her subconscious made her pull away. Out of breath, she watched him through glazed eyes. "We, we can't Han, not until, you know."

"Yeah," he smiled sadly. "Go on to bed Princess. I'm just going to go take a very cold shower and knock my head through the plaster wall."

"Han," she chided, pushing him back onto the bed. Standing to leave, she looked down at him one last time. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

"No, actually, I just proposed to her two days ago," Han told the reporter.

"Yes, I understand that. But how long have you been engaged?"

"Two days," they said together.

"So, you don't have any plans, any basics, any idea?" the reporter asked.

"No, we don't. And we may never if we can't get a moment to ourselves to figure it out, with all of you reporters trying to get details out of us that don't exist," Han said, standing up. He took Leia by the hand and she stood up as well. "Come on sweetheart."

They walked into the large waiting room were fifty other reporting teams were waiting. Han jerked a chair out from under a portly cameraman and stood on it. "Excuse me folks, but we have an announcement for everyone here. Please stay in your seats, and feel free to quote me on that and all of this."

The reporting teams all stared at him anxiously. "Look, I'm going to explain this one time. We have been engaged for two days. No longer than that, I didn't ask her to marry me a month ago. There is no date, no time, nothing. Two days is all, what happened at the banquet was the real deal, not just a decision to go public. We went public the moment it happened, which in hindsight wasn't the brightest of ideas. So, you can all go back to your respective planets, countries, towns, homes, whatever. Sorry to disappoint you all, but this team hasn't made any decisions yet."

As many reporters reluctantly left the room, leaving their teams to pack up and haul everything out after them, Leia stretched up and whispered into his ear. "Nice move hotshot."

"Thanks," he said, smiling.

"That was sarcasm. Now instead of being hounded by reporters, we are going to be hounded by caterers, florists, decorators, planners, event hosts, you name it!" she said, exasperated.

"We can shut all of them out though, and plan everything by ourselves. Besides, what's the HoloNet for anyway?"

"I don't think I will ever understand you, Han Solo," she smiled, leaning into him as he steered them out of the crowd of dejected reporters. They walked slowly through the levels of the gardens. They reached a familiar level and Han saw an opportunity. As they passed, Han gave Leia a gentle shove and sent her spinning into the pond, she had fallen in days ago. "HAN SOLO!" she shrieked. "So help me!"

She leapt out of the pond and took off after him. He dodged her time and time again, and finally let her tackle him when they were on the push indoor carpet. Before she could do anything, he pinned her arms to her side and kissed her. "It was just a joke Princess."

She growled at him and he rolled until he rested on top of her, knocking the breath from her. "Han, I can't breathe." He rested on his elbows above her, allowing her space to breathe. She smiled wickedly up at him, and he kissed her again, immobilizing her.

"You aren't doing anything to this prince sweetheart," he said. Then, as if he had let out some big secret, he scrambled off of her and started to walk away.

"Han, what did you mean by that?" she asked, helping herself up.

"Well, when I marry you, I'll be a prince, of some sorts, won't I?" he said nervously.

"Han, what did you _really_ mean by that?"

"Nothing sweetheart," he said. They walked back to the living area in an awkward silence. "Um, I'm going to go see my dad tomorrow, okay? I guess I need to tell him properly about what's been going on."

"Um, yeah okay," she said, in a tone that said that was not the thing she wanted to hear coming from his mouth. He leaned down to kiss her, and she thought it would linger, but he pecked her quickly and walked down to his room. She wrapped her overcoat around her and hugged herself, _what is going on with him?_

_What am I doing, can't I trust her with a simple secret. We've been best friends since we were toddlers. And where did I get that idea about my dad from, he's been the furthest thing on my mind recently. Get a grip Solo, or you are going to ruin this thing before it ever happens_. He beat himself up all the way down the hall and flung himself onto the bed.

* * *

So so so so sorry it took so long everyone. 


	10. The Prince

_The Prince_

* * *

"Hello?" he called tentatively after opening the door to his mansion, newly polished hardwood floors sprawling out before him. "Dad, you there?"

A clean cut man, wrapped in a fine suit, walked down the stairs on the left, coming from the East Wing. "Han, so good to see you home finally," he said, a bit of darkness fringed his tone. His features were lined, he looked more tired than usual, more upset and dangerous.

"I'm sorry father, we kind of got carried away with the plans and—"

"And what, pray tell, were you thinking when you proposed to Princess Leia Organa? If Bail Organa finds out who I am, what I am doing, my entire fortune and future goes down the drain, and so does yours! I know you two are good friends, though I tried hard to prevent it," the older man fumed.

"Father! This is my decision and has nothing to do with you," Han snapped back. They walked closer towards each other, meeting halfway down the steps.

"It has everything to do with me! If one whiff of our dealings is caught, we will be sacked!"

"Father, who says they've got to know, who says they're going to find out?"

"Well, you've already told her that you're a prince," the man glared.

"I, how, when, how did you know?"

"I've had that palace bugged for decades, in case something like this happens. Han, you don't understand what I've been through to secure you a future worth having," he snapped.

"What future? Heading up a secret, illegal society? Attacking the very people I care about? What kind of a future is that father?"

"One worth everything in this mansion!"

"I don't want everything in this mansion! I want one thing in the palace of House Organa, and that's the princess!"

"Oh well, this is very fitting isn't it. The prince and the princess, two people with a common title, but beliefs very different from each other and business practices. How do you expect to lead a double life, if you are married to the thing you are trying to bring down? How do you expect to explain long absences when you have no political background?"

"I was _never _told that we were trying to bring down House Organa. I don't intend on spending long periods away from Leia. Is that a secret that you've been keeping from me? In case I tried to get in your way?"

"You cannot abandon them when I am gone, they will look for your leadership!"

"Yeah," Han started up the stairs. "They'll have to find it someplace else."

"You are the rightful heir!"

"To what? A bunch of filth?" Han laughed. "I hate to be your undoing, but I won't leave Leia, and if it comes to it, I will bring you down in order to stay with her."

"You are the one they need, Han!"

"According to you, you're the one they need, and I'm just your pawn. That's it isn't it. You needed me to get close to the princess and give you information on the going-ons of her life and what was happening in the family, so that you could bring them all down. It's been a plot from the very beginning. And I thought you were respectable."

* * *

Han sped away from his old home, his belongings packed on his back and strapped to the swoop bike. His father watched from an upstairs window as his son faded into the haze of the hot afternoon. The prince had fallen, and it was time to act.

"Nethir," he said into a comlink. "It's time, House Organa must fall tonight, and either my son or the princess must go, or both. Either we lose the prince or we cause so much pain that we gain him again. He has failed to take on his responsibilities. My command: _Kill, with no mercy_."

* * *

Han pulled into the garage and raced into the palace, no doubt his father had already sent out the message and the commands. He had to warn Leia, he had to get her to safety. If he failed…he couldn't think of that. He had to succeed. He bounded up the stairs, not bothering to wait for the turbo lift, taking them two at a time, sometimes three if he could manage it. Throwing open the door, he raced down the hall, knocking three servants out of the way, sending the contents of their baskets spilling across the floor, and forced his way into the living area when the door was barely open. "Leia!"

"What's the matter Han?" she said, coming down the hall. Her hair was braided, and half of it was twisted into a bun on the side of her head.

"Leia, get your family, run, they are coming. They want to kill you, your family." He said quickly, gasping for breath.

"Han, what are you talking about?" she said, looking perplexed, grasping his forearm to keep him steady.

"My father, they are coming to take down House Organa, plot, for nineteen years, I'm so sorry."

"Is this about the prince thing? Because Han I really don't care," she started, but he cut her off.

"Yes, it is, I am."

"What are you?" she took a step closer. His eyes were dark and stormy, and his hair was matted to his forehead in sweat. His clothes were jumbled, and his face was erratic, something she had never known of him. He was struggling, she could tell. His secret was consuming him, because of a danger she knew naught about, but could feel in the air. "Han, what are you?"

"The Prince of —"

The glass window behind them exploded, sending slivers and shards of glass hurtling towards them.


	11. The Not So Great Escape

_The Not So Great Escape_

* * *

"Leia!" he screamed; flinging himself at her, knocking her to the ground and shielding her with her body. Glass ripped at his body, tearing his clothes and ripping into his skin. They lay there for what felt like hours, waiting for the glass to settle. When he dared to pick his head up, he saw a gaping hole where the window used to be; and three black marks on the wall behind them where the blasts had come through the window. He pulled Leia to her feet. "I told you, you have to get out of here." 

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. If they get you I'll never forgive myself. You've got to get off planet; they won't rest until you are out of their reach. Where is your family?" he said, motioning for her to whisper it into his ear.

"Caldera."

"Why?"

"They went to see your father, about the wedding."

"Coruscant, we have to get to Coruscant. Your family is already at my house by now," Han said, running down the hall to the bedrooms. "Grab a bag and pack essentials, quickly, we don't have much time until they get up here."

* * *

He pulled her down the hallway, lugging both of their bags on his back. He listened before going around corners, waiting for the ambush he was sure would come. He heard blaster fire coming from the direction they were headed from and quickly pulled her into a dark alcove. "Han, what are you doing?" 

"Leia, please. I love you; I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of this to happen, I really didn't. These people are after you, because my father sent them. I'm the Prince of Thieves. No," he added at her apparent want of interjection, "it's not just a fairytale. I want to marry you, I do, we're just going to have to wait a little longer." He kissed her quickly.

"The Prince of Thieves?"

"Yes, they are trying to bring the Royal Houses of Alderaan down, so that they can reign. My father is the king, or something like that."

"How long?"

"Have I known about this plot? A couple of hours now," he said, frantically glancing over her head.

"How long have you known about them, how long have you been part of them?"

"Since I was ten," Han admitted. "My father inducted me when I was ten."

"Look, let's get out of here; we can start over, new lives, somewhere else. If they want me dead that badly, I won't be safe on Coruscant either," she said suddenly, changing the topic.

"We'll see, first we have to get you to Coruscant. Alderaan is about to experience a civil war."

He checked the hallway before pulling her out of the alcove and ran towards the lift that would take them down to the kitchens. They had just reached the door when a low voice called out. "It's them! The prince and princess, I've found them!"

And blaster fire erupted from every direction. Han hit the call button excessively, while trying to shoot over his arm. Occasionally a satisfied grin crossed his face when he hit his mark. Noting that the lift didn't seem to be coming, he pulled Leia to the left and knocked open the door that led to the emergency staircase. "Run, I'll hold them off. Get to my swoop bike."

"No Han, I'm not going anywhere without you," she snapped.

"GO!" he ordered; shooting out of the crack in the door he had created. He pushed on her arm, and finally heard the relieving sound of her feet clacking against the durasteel stairs. Once the return fire had ceased, he to ran down the stairs, trying to catch up with her light-footed agility. He heard more blaster fire coming from below him and doubled his speed.

* * *

At the bottom of the stairs, he found Leia crouched behind half of a blown away door, shooting a blaster into the corridor beyond. He slunk up beside her and began firing with a bit more accuracy, taking out several of the opposition in seconds. Tugging on her forearm, he kicked the lower part of the door off its hinges and ran into the melee, pulling Leia closely behind him, still firing his blaster. He headed straight for the door that led to the garage where his swoop was waiting. As they rounded the corner, they met a platoon of ragged men all aiming their blasters at them. Before anyone started shooting, Han pulled her into a room to the side and bolted the door. He heard the pings of blasts hitting the door and whirled around looking for a window. Finding it, he aimed a couple of shots towards it and pushed her out of it. Taking one last look over his shoulder, he climbed out after her. He ran over to the garage and got on his swoop, waiting for her to climb on behind him before starting it up. 

They sped past the gates, which had been blown off their hinges. Blaster fire rang out around them from the surrounding trees. He coaxed more speed into the bike, running off edge after edge of the winding road down the cliff side. He sped into Aldera, trying to find the fastest moving lane of traffic and not attract attention at the same time. They reached the transports and registered for the next one off planet. He led her to a little known eatery and got something for them to eat and then sent her to change into something a little more suitable for getting off planet unnoticed. They had twenty minutes until the transport was scheduled to depart, but they decided to go ahead and get settled onboard. After stowing the swoop bike, they found an unoccupied cabin and immediately begin planning what they were going to do when they reached Coruscant. The faint humming of the engines were soon drowned out by hundreds of pairs of feet, filling the cabins and halls, waiting for take off.

* * *

So what do you think? 

Should they both make it out alive and live happily ever after?


	12. To Lay Justified Blame

_To Lay Justified Blame_

* * *

The lurch of liftoff was barely felt by the two occupants of the fifth cabin on the port side of the ship. The air was thick with tension that had crept up on them after they had decided what to do once they reached Coruscant. Leia sat on the bed, back against the cold durasteel wall. Han lounged in a chair facing her, but he kept his eyes averted. The harsh reality that he had been a part of the organization bent on killing her and her family was now washing over her, now that they were out of danger. It didn't pass his notice that her hand flitted towards her blaster at random intervals. Frowning, he turned his head away completely and looked towards the door. He heard the sliding of sheets and turned to find her blaster in her hands.

"What are you going to do with that?" he asked casually.

"I, I don't know," she said, slightly ashamed of herself.

After a moments pause, he said, "We've left the atmosphere."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you, that we were still in the atmosphere? Sorry, I didn't know that you cared that much," he said, a confused look creasing his lips.

"No, not that." She rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that you were one of them? One of the thieves?"

"I didn't really know what it meant when I was younger. And as I got older, my father impressed upon me the importance of keeping it a secret," he looked sadly at her, "especially you."

"Why me?"

"Because if I told you, you might have told your father, and then my father would either be killed immediately, or put in jail."

She left her perch and strode to the window, staring out into the stars, she continued, "But, did you know that they were going to try to kill me?"

"No, no I didn't. I knew that they were starting to go for bigger targets, but I didn't think they would try to kill anyone. I mean, we've killed people that have gotten in our way during petty theft," he said.

"How'd you get that bike?"

"That? I bought it. I only committed a few minor break-ins, with friends that weren't even part of them. I earned that bike, took me a couple of months too. I wouldn't let my dad help me pay for it, because I knew I'd have to deal with him hanging it over my head."

"But you admit to having had—What's that?" she suddenly came alert, pointing out the window. Han went to her side and saw the dark orb that he would have sworn was a moon had he not known better. They were speeding away from it, and the planet. A streak of bright green light shot from the dark orb and the beautiful glittering planet below them exploded into millions of pieces. "No!" she shrieked as the transport was rocked by the repercussion waves and thousands of pieces of the planet they had once called a home.

Crying, she turned into his arms before she realized what she was doing and spent a good five minutes there before she realized where she was. Wrenching herself away from him, she sunk back onto the bed. "It was them, wasn't it? The thieves?"

"No, no Leia, it couldn't have been," he said. She refused to look at him. "Leia, they wanted to rule Alderaan, not destroy it."

"Then why is Alderaan now gone?"

The lurch into hyperspace put a pause to the conversation as stars streaked past the window. "I don't know. I can't answer that. All I know is that Alderaan was my home and theirs. They wouldn't have destroyed it. Everyone loved Alderaan. That's why they wanted to rule it."

"They still would have destroyed it," she said. "Just in a different way."

"Possibly," he said. "I'm not saying that what they wanted was right," he added at her sharp look. He crossed the room and sat in front of her on the bed.

"What they did?" she asked. "Was that right?"

"No, my father wanted what your father had, and he wanted me to be the one to lead the thieves into getting it. I think ultimately, he would have had me kill you," Han said. "I never could have done that."

"How do I know this isn't part of the plan?"

"Would you still be alive?" he said blatantly, annoyed that she would be thinking this, but realizing that her fear was rational.

"Yes, because I would have to make an appearance on Coruscant, be seen, get the money from my account—" he kissed her before she could go any farther. He held her to him, cradling her head in his hand, pressing his mouth firmly against hers.

"Why would I do more than I have to, if all I wanted was your money? I would just hold you hostage and make you get it. We've proven time and time again that I'm stronger. I could over power you, but I'm not. I could hold a blaster to your head and force you to do what I wanted, but I'm not. Why do all of this, just to get your money? I could have done that back on Alderaan. Why would I be doing all of this?" he said, staring into her dark eyes, her face was blank after the kiss as she listened to him. "Think about it."

Her face was blank.

"I love you."

Her expression softened a little, and he could see her mind beginning to work, though her eyes remained solely focused on his. "You wouldn't."

"I wouldn't?"

"You wouldn't do more than you had to, you wouldn't wait until we got to Coruscant, you wouldn't be doing this," she said slowly.

"Thank you; now chase all of those thoughts about me lying to you out of your head, and come here," he smiled has she climbed over to his lap.


	13. Changing Faces

Oh my goodness, I'm terribly sorry for this horrible delay and how short this is. The story itself won't be too much longer, the final chapters will be coming up soon, and we may have a happy or not so happy ending.

Again, terribly sorry about the wait

_Changing Faces_

* * *

They landed on Coruscant and slipped the swoop bike out of the storage compartment. Han dragged it along with him, trying to find a taxi that would allow them to bring it aboard. When they finally tracked one down, the back was already crammed full of stuff and Leia was a little wary of getting into the back.

"Han," she said in a hushed voice. "They look like the kind of people who will get our stuff in the back, get us out in the middle of air traffic and kill us, then take the stuff."

Han sent them on their way. So they sat for an hour, waiting for another taxi that was big enough to bring the bike with them. Finally, the same guys that had pulled around the first time came back, and Leia reluctantly agreed to climb in. Han stowed the swoop in the back and clambered in beside her. "We need to get to the Senatorial Building, pronto."

"You got it," called a grisly old man in the driver's seat. His partner leered at Leia while they pulled out until he caught Han's eye and then promptly turned around and stared out the window. The man made several dives and sharp turns, and complete loops, as if he was trying to get them lost.

"Hey, buddy," Han snapped. "Senatorial section, now!"

"Fine fine fine," he said, speeding up incredibly and climbing into the highest levels of the traffic. They stopped in front of the Senatorial building and Han told Leia to get out and get the bike.

"Han," she started to ask no, but he remained firm and she climbed out. Han held his blaster at the driver's head until Leia got the bike out and then climbed out himself.

"Hey, you owe me!" the driver yelled.

Han threw a small credit chip at the ground by the driver's door and grabbed the bike from Leia, steering both of them into the nearest lift and pushing the button for the level to his father's senatorial suite. "They'll never expect us to go there. They'll expect us at your suite. Don't worry, we'll contact your security once we are all cleared out of my place and have your stuff sent to storage so we can ship it to where ever we decide to make a home."

"I trust you Han, you know what you are doing," she smiled, wishing she knew what he was doing.

* * *

"Now, we can only stay here for a day at the maximum," he said, once they got the bike in the door. "I'm going to clean out my belongings, and anything I think I deserve to have of my father's possessions."

"Han?" she reprimanded.

"I'm the Prince of the Thieves aren't I?" he asked, cocky grin covering his face. After they cleaned all of his belongings into a few bags, they lay down on the bed for a breather. "You know, we are going to have to change our identities."

"I know, I've already thought about it," Leia sighed.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Where are we going to live for starters?" he asked. "And what are you thinking you're going to change your name too?"

"Well, I, I've heard that Corellia is nice. And I don't know about my name. Can't we change our identities once we get there?" she asked.

"I suppose. We should check the HoloNet, see if anything has been broadcast or if it's all being kept hush hush." Han clicked a button on the side table and the screen in front of them lit up.

"Following the unprecedented attack upon the Palace of the Royal House Organa, it has been not been confirmed that Princess Leia Organa or her fiancé are dead. They may be held hostage by the attackers, but no ransom has been declared. In other news, coming again from Alderaan, both Bail and Breha Organa have been found dead in the mansion of Senator Solo. Senator Solo has been taken into custody and is being tried for the murder of his fellow senator and his wife. It is Senator Solo's son that is betrothed to the Princess, and follow ups are being done to see whether the two incidents are related."

"I'm sorry Princess," Han turned to Leia, who had silent tears running down her cheeks. "Be strong for a little longer, and then you won't ever have to play this role again."

"Promise?" she asked in a small voice.

"Promise."

"We need to get our identities changed now, let's go get the money out of our accounts, register, get everything put into storage, and get out of here."

* * *

"Jarren Scythe," Han said to the registrar. He gave his information while the newly cropped hair of Leia caught his eye in the next cubicle. He heard her give her name, "Lelila Carn," and smiled quickly while the registrar compiled his information and gave him all of his cards and identification disks. Leia finished moments after him, grabbing his arm as they left.

"So Jarren, where too now?"

"Contacting your security and having them put your stuff in storage, then going and putting this bike and the other belongings of mine in storage too. Then I guess we should go back to the bank and deposit our money. Not all of it, just enough of it."

They caught the last transport of the day to Corellia and settled into the cabin as Jarren Scythe and Lelila Carn. The HoloNet had more news from Alderaan that night, saying that the deaths of Princess Leia Organa and her fiancé Han Solo had still not been confirmed. Lelila didn't know what to make of it, but fell asleep in his arms as he listened to the rest of the HoloCast, assured that they were searching Alderaan for them. Lelila's short hair interested him, and he fell asleep running his fingers through it.

* * *

Again, again, so sorry, you are allowed to shoot me

Lelila


	14. Safe is Relative

_Safe Is Relative_

* * *

The shocking news of Alderaan's destruction was on every HoloNet channel the next day. The deaths of the Royal Family and friends paled in comparison. And the Empire wasn't anywhere near keeping quite who it was, in fact they practically boasted of the power to destroy any planet that Rebelled against them. Some reporters dared to question their power when the Rebellion itself was still at large. One station even had stormtroopers interrupt the broadcast. Jarren kept it turned off, Lelila didn't need anything else on her mind. She was frantically trying to set up a normal home for them. Any help he offered was rebuffed, so he had taken to trying to get their possessions shipped to Corellia, which was proving more difficult than he would have imagined. After the fourth call he gave up, being told the same message every time, he would have to wait until a business day and then it may take a week to get his request processed.

He settled for a stroll around the neighborhood they were going to eventually call home. Kids were out playing in the yards, playing smashball in the streets; he figured he could grow to like it here. He preferred the rolling hills of Alderaan and the large estates he had grown up in, but their cozy little cottage would do just fine for now.

* * *

"What do you mean?" a menacing voice growled from the cover of the shadows in the dimly lit alley on Coruscant. It was wide enough to cover the large transport speeder before him, and the hum from the clubs surrounding them drowned out any chance of their voices carrying. 

"Just what I told you, I tried to give you enough time to catch up, but they caught on that I was toting them around in circles and I had to take them where they wanted to go," a grisly old man said, standing in front of the large transport speeder that had housed Han Solo's speeder the day before. "Then I tried to find you, but how was I supposed to know where you would be?"

"You are giving me reason to kill you now, I had a lock on that signal, you could have faked a break down or something, _they_ won't be happy about this," the other growled.

"Well, can't you lock onto the signal again, catch them that way?"

The other advanced, causing the grisly old man to cower against his speeder, "You think we didn't try that? We broke into the storage lot last night. And that's all it is, a storage lot. Who knows how long it'll be in there, it could take decades to find him. You ruined our last chance."

"I'm sorry, I panicked, I didn't know what else to do, the guy looked intimidating, upset, like he didn't want to be messed around with."

"Do I look like I want to be messed around with?"

"No, no sir."

* * *

When they dared to turn the HoloNet on again to see what was happening, the news of the death of a taxi driver graced the screen. A large transport speeder was in the background and what looked like a medical team and a police team swarmed the area in front of it. "Hey, Ha—Jarren," Lelila said, almost painfully. "Isn't that the same guy who took us from the docks to the Senatorial section." 

"Yeah, yeah I think you're right, I wonder if it has anything to do with us," Jarren said, sliding onto the couch beside her. They listened and the news of the break in at the storage lot followed.

"Jarren," Lelila said softly, "I don't think we are ever going to be safe."

* * *

Almost there, I'm sorry these are coming so late, I'm working on an original story idea and that is consuming a lot of my time. 


	15. The Telling of a Secret

_The Telling of a Secret_

* * *

"Sir, it still hasn't been moved," a shadowed voice called.

Long fingers, crossed, lay in the light. "Have we found anymore leads?"

"Not yet sir," the voice called back.

"Keep trying, I will not give this up."

"Sir, it's almost futile, it's been—"

"Thirteen years, I know!"

* * *

A little green swoop bike pulled up in front of a house in the country. A young boy examined all of the boxes lying on the porch. Gunning the engine, he took off again with a sigh before his mother could come after him.

"DERRICK!" came his mother's call, a second too late. Lelila stepped onto the porch and sighed as she saw the back of her son's swoop bike speeding off. "Jarren."

"What, Ley?" Jarren stepped onto the porch.

"Your son," Lelila said.

"My son?" Jarren asked. "Last time I checked, you played a part in his becoming."

"Oh no, he's all yours," Lelila countered. "Now, go get him in here. The transports will be here soon."

"Right, and how do you suppose I get him? Last time I checked, my swoop was still on Coruscant. And you wouldn't let me get another one."

"You're his father, figure out a way," she reentered the house. Jarren rolled his eyes and climbed into the speeder. He went in the direction of the dust pluming into the air. His son was sitting beside the lake, skipping rocks on the water's surface, when Jarren found him.

"What?" Derrick asked when the speeder shut off.

"It's time to go."

"No."

Jarren got out of the speeder, picked up the swoop and stowed it in the back of the speeder. "Derrick, I know you don't want to go, but that's the final decision, so you are coming."

"Why?" Derrick asked. "Why do we have to move? I actually like it out here. We move like, once a year, why do we have to continue?"

"I can't really explain that right now, maybe when you are older."

"I want to know, now," Derrick said.

"Sorry bud, but that isn't going to be happening anytime soon."

"Don't bud me, dad. If you were my 'bud' you would tell me," Derrick continued skipping rocks as his father sat down beside him.

"You're mother is going to kill me," Jarren muttered. "You know that Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan you are always badmouthing because they ran away?"

"Yeah, what do they have to do with us moving around all of the time?" he chucked another rock at the water, and it sunk after the first hop.

"I am Han Solo and your mother is Princess Leia Organa."

"No, you're joking."

"No, I'm really serious." Jarren pulled out a holo of him and Leia when they were eighteen. "Deadly serious."

Derrick's jaw dropped. Jarren watched him as he recovered his faculties and began saying five different things at once, "I'm so sorry…I didn't know…how could I…how could you…I thought…"

"It's okay son," Jarren calmed him.

* * *

"Why'd you run?" Derrick asked from the passenger seat on the way home.

"Because, I didn't feel like dying."

"But why were they trying to kill you."

"Don't worry about that. The fact is, that they still are, which is why we move all of the time," Jarren said, they pulled into the drive. "Now, this is a secret, don't tell your mother I told you."

They loaded all of boxes into the transports that had arrived minutes earlier, and prepared to leave the little country cottage.

* * *

"Is that him?" a young boy asked, pointing to Jarren, who was in the next room reading a holozine.

"Yeah," Derrick boasted. He had told his new friend his secret the second he thought he could trust him, which was about fifteen minutes after he had met him at school.

"Han Solo, I would've never believed it."

"JARREN!" Lelila's shrill scream came, and Derrick suddenly remembered that he wasn't supposed to have told anyone about that. He quickly swore his friend into secrecy and told him to hightail it home.

Jarren came running into the room, "What?"

"You told him!"

"He had a right to know."

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"Lelila! Our son has the right to know what danger we are and he is in," Jarren snapped. "We'll talk about this later. Derrick, come with me."

The tone in which the command was issued left Derrick with an empty feeling at the pit of his stomach, he looked at the ground as he followed his father.

* * *

"Why, Han?" she asked him that night as they were getting ready for bed, she sat on the edge of the bed, talking to the closet door.

"I told you, Leia," he said, poking his head out as he did so. "He has the right to know, and a boy should know who his parents really are."

"We aren't those people anymore."

"Really, Leia," he said, looking her in the eye. After a pause he continued, "I miss when we were teenagers."

"Me too, Han, me too. We didn't have anything to worry about."

"Let me ask you something. Do you think it's safe for me to move my bike?" Jarren asked her, sliding in between the sheets, snuggling in beside her.

"I think so."

"Good, because I sent for it yesterday."

"WHAT?"

"Calm down baby," he said, kissing her forehead. "When we get it, I'm going to take you out for a ride, like old times." She criticized him a bit more for telling their son about the real reason that they continued to move around and then they slept.

* * *

"So how was that for old times?" Jarren asked when they returned to their home after their ride, the red and black speeder bike still gleamed in the sunlight.

"It was absolutely perfect."

They walked up to the front door, hand in hand. She leaned over and kissed him and then their eyes grew wide in shock. The front door of the house was busted in. They looked at each other, "Derrick!"

* * *

I will try to get the next chapter up soon, I just received homework two weeks before school starts, that's due on the first day, so my time is been increasingly occupied

I'm sorry to say that this will not be a long fic, it will be wrapping up in either the next chapter or the chapter after that.


	16. A Swoop Bike Short of a Happy Ending

_A Swoop Bike Short of a Happy Ending_

* * *

"You stay out here, just in case," he said, kissing her forehead.

"There is no way I'm letting you go in there alone, not with the possibilities." Lelila grabbed her husbands arm and pulled him back around to face her.

"Lelila, just stay out of sight. If it's all clear all call for you."

"If you aren't out here in twenty minutes, I'm coming in after you," she growled.

Jarren stepped over the wreckage that was once his beautifully carved front door. The house was a mess. Furniture was knocked over, glass littered the floor along with paper, holos, and the rest of the belongings that used to line the foyer. Jarren fingered his gun, anticipating the worst. But when he entered the living room he found his son and a friend leaning over what looked like a rocket, or what was left of one. Jarren cleared his throat and the boys jumped up. He looked pointedly at Derrick before calling out to Lelila that it was all clear.

"Derrick Scythe!" Lelila's shrill scream echoed through the house. "What on Corellia did you do?"

"Well, mom, dad, we were playing with a rocket. It was supposed to go straight up, but it got knocked over right before it was about to take off, and well," Derrick held out his hands, "this is what happened."

"We thought," but she caught herself. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Derrick said.

"I think you're friend needs to go home," Jarren said quietly.

"Yeah, I'll see you around Derrick."

Once Derrick's friend was gone, Lelila whirled on him and Jarren. "Derrick, we thought that they had found us. This is exactly why I didn't want to tell him. You shouldn't have told your friend. How could you two be so stupid?"

"Lelila, let's deal with the issue at hand," Jarren said, pointing to the rocket. "Derrick, first, you need to clean all of this up."

"But—"

"All of it," Jarren said darkly.

"Yes sir."

* * *

"Sir, the bike has been moved, it's on Corellia."

"Excellent." A grin spread across a shadowed face. "Send Sal and his team. If my son is there, Sal will find him."

* * *

"Look, I bought the bike from a guy that lived up the street. My name is Colin, I've never heard of a Han Solo."

"He can't be him, Sal, not unless Solo underwent some major surgeries. Who'd you buy the bike from?"

"Jarren Scythe, he lives up the street. Here's the house number."

"Thanks Colin."

* * *

"Look, I bought the bike from some guy on Coruscant, but didn't have the money to get it shipped until now. Then I had to resell it, my wife wouldn't let me keep it. I brought it out of storage for my son. But the lady thinks it's too dangerous."

"Who was the guy on Coruscant?"

"I think he said his name was Han. It's been so long, I can't really remember. He was tall, brown hair, looked to be about twenty or so then. That's all I've got for you," Jarren Scythe said, impressively convincingly.

"Thanks," they said, returning to their speeder. "I guess he never left Coruscant."

Jarren heard the muttered last comment, and smiled when they left. It looked like smooth sailing from here on out. Hopefully that was the last they would ever see of them. But he still missed his swoop.

* * *

I know it's terribly short, but that's the end, and you all get the happy one you wanted, believe me, the first version had them all ending up either dead or separated and no one wants that.

So, thanks for sticking with me this summer (or winter if you happen to be living somewhere other than the United States and it's snowing or your equivilant there). The reviews have been greatly appreciated.


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